The calm before the storm

Area football coaches meet before conference showdown and vote Ayden-Grifton the winner of The Free Press/News-Argus Coach’s Poll

Jessika Morgan / Sports Editor

Area football coaches accomplished two things during Wednesday’s Eastern Carolina 2A conference meet-and-greet: they ironed out season particulars and determined Ayden-Grifton was the conference favorite.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association season-openers are just about two weeks away, and head coaches were more like friends than competitors as they prepare for the area showdowns of the realigned conference.

“It’s going to be competitive from top to bottom,” Ayden-Grifton head coach Paul Cornwell said. “I think I’m excited the most about the fact that we’re all close by. There will be a lot of natural rivalry; I think everybody’s excited about that.”

Last season, Ayden-Grifton competed in a 1A division and finished right behind first-place Goldsboro in the Carolina 1A conference. Both schools will compete in newly-formed Eastern Carolina.

“I think we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Cornwell said about moving up from 1A. “We’ve got a big group of kids and we’re excited about the season. … I think the advantage that maybe we’ve had is that we really focused on ourselves and are not really worried about who we’re playing. It’s about trying to get better every week and trying to use the non-conference schedule to play conference games.”

Cornwell, entering his ninth year with the Chargers, is the veteran coach of the group that will feature three guys in their first year with a new school.

Greene Central coach Allen Wooten is entering his first year with the Rams and said they’ve got to learn how to win.

“We’re on a nine-game losing streak,” he said. “I’m sure we’re one of the only few teams in the state that has that going for us. We’ve got to figure out how to turn that around.”

He said they can benefit with senior Austin Batchelor at quarterback under a spread offense system.

“(He’s) kind of everything you look for in a high school quarterback,” Wooten said. “We want to make sure that we understand what our goals are every week and we want to reinforce those in practice…. If we do things the right way, then usually the wins take care of themselves.”

Greene Central placed fourth in the poll.

Coaches voted during the meet-and-greet held at King’s restaurant on Old New Bern Road Wednesday afternoon. All Eastern Carolina coach’s and athletic directors gathered for the event.

Conference President and Ayden-Grifton AD Chris Ross said athletic schedules have been prepared for the next two years and EC2A is progressing well.

“We feel good about where we are right now,” he said. “We’re all old friends. Every one of the ADs goes back as old friends; many of the coaches in this conference have worked together in the past.”

He added the meeting was the best way to positively open the new conference.

“We teach our athletes about positivity and sportsmanship,” Ross said. “I felt it was good for our coaches to come together and exemplify that to kick off the season.”

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.